How baseball bat is made - material, manufacture, making, history, used, product, Raw Materials Baseball Bat Background When the game of baseball was first played, sticks were used to hit the ball. By the time the game had been officially organized as a team sport, the players either whittled their own bats or bought them from a wood turner. League specifications set in 1863 were broad: any type of wood was permissible and the bats had to be round, not more than 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) in the thickest part. There were no length restrictions. Early bats ranged in weight from 48-50 ounces (1361-1417 g) with an average handle circumference of 4.5 inches (11.4 cm). The hefty weight meant home runs were rare. By the 1960s, however, players such as Hank Aaron were using shorter, lighter bats to smash balls into the centerfield seats. Aaron's bat measured 35 inches (89 cm) long and 33 ounces (979 g) in weight.

Modern baseball rules limit bat lengths to 42 inches (107 cm) and the diameter to 2.75 inches (7 cm). There are no weight restrictions. The bats must be made of wood with no metal, cork, or other type of reinforcement inserted into the bat's center. Over the years, several major league players have tried to use a reinforced bat. A particularly colorful controversy surrounded a bat used by Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians. Belle's bat was confiscated during a game between the Indians and the Chicago White Sox in July of 1994. The bat was stored in the umpires' locker room at Comiskey Park until it could be tested the next day. How-ever, it disappeared overnight. It was returned anonymously the next day and found to have a corked center. In spite of protests, Belle received a temporary suspension. The mystery of the bat's disappearance and reappearance has yet to be revealed. Hillerich & Sons, a Kentucky wood-turning shop, was the first company to devote a full-time operation to the manufacturing of baseball bats.

According to company lore, in 1884, John "Bud" Hillerich, the son of the company's founder, was attending a Louisville Eclipse baseball game when a player named Pete "Old Gladiator" Browning broke his bat. Bud invited Browning back to the shop where Bud custom-made a new bat from a piece of white ash. During the next day's game, Browning pounded three hits in three at-bats using the new bat. And the rest, as they say, is history. The ensuing requests for custom-made bats from other players helped Bud convince his father to add bat manufacturing to the family business. The company named its new product the "Louisville Slugg"er." (The company became Hillerich & Bradsby in 1911 when Frank Bradsby, a sporting goods magnate, joined the firm.) Baseball players are notoriously particular about their bats, and have been so through-out the sport's history. Frank Frisch, who played in 50 World Series games for the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, cured his bats during the off-season by hanging them like sausages in a barn.

Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams bathed his bats in alcohol to keep them cool during his many hitting streaks. Williams was also known to visit lumberyards looking for pieces of wood with narrow growth rings. The legendary Babe Ruth preferred his bats to have pin knots in the barrels. Traditionally, forty- to fifty-year-old ash trees are used to make baseball bats because of their strength, flexibility, and light weight. Raw Materials Traditionally, ash trees from Pennsylvania and upstate New York are used to make baseball bats. The ash is valued for its strength, flexibility, and light weight. The best trees are those that grow in dense clusters where they are protected from the wind and forced to grow straight up towards the sunlight. Forty to fifty years of growth is required to bring an ash tree to the preferred trunk diameter of 14-16 inches (36-41 cm). Each tree yields approximately 60 bats. When a tree has reached the proper height and width, a forester marks it with spray paint. A log cutter then uses a chain saw to bring down the tree. The top branches are removed and left in the forest.

The tree trunks are sawed into 10-16-foot (3-5 m) lengths, loaded on a truck, and taken to the mill. At the mill, the logs are inspected for knots and uneven grains. Only half of what is cut in the forest is ultimately used to manufacture baseball bats. The logs that make the grade are rolled to a hydraulic wedge that cuts them into 40-inch (101 cm) splits. The Manufacturing Process Turning the splits into billet 1 A mill worker places each split onto an automatic lathe that shaves the rough edges off as it turns the wood. The billets, as they are now called, are inspected again for straightness of grain. The billets are stacked and strapped together into six-sided bundles. Workers paint the ends with a protective preservative to keep the wood from fraying or rotting. The bundled billets are then trucked to the lumberyard of the bat manufacturer. Seasoning the billets 2 The billets that arrive at the lumberyard are considered "green" wood because they still contain sap and gum.

In order to strengthen the wood, the sap and gum must be removed by an air-drying process called "seasoning." To achieve the proper seasoning, the billets are simply stacked in the yard for a period of six months to two years. The plant workers who create the final product are called bat turners. They are highly skilled artisans who have been specially trained for the intricate work. When an order is placed, the bat turner selects a billet from the storage bin and creates a replica of the desired model. Shaping and sanding the billets 3 When the billets have dried completely, they are weighed and inspected for quality. A worker places each billet on an automatic lathe and shapes it into a rough baseball bat shape with a narrowed neck. The bat forms are sanded, inspected once more, and then sorted according to weight. Matching the bat to the model 4 The bat manufacturer keeps a model of each bat made, typically identified by the baseball player who initially ordered it. When a player or team places an order, the order may look like this: six Johnny Bench models, ten Hank Aarons, four Mickey Mantles. The plant workers who create the final product are called bat turners.

They are highly skilled artisans who have been specially trained for the intricate work. When an order is placed, the bat turner selects a billet from the storage bin that fits the called-for weight and length. The billet is placed on a lathe. The model bat is placed on a rack above and behind the lathe. The bat turner revolves the billet slowly on the lathe, sanding and shaving it to an exact replica of the model. Using calipers, the bat turner measures the billet every 1-2 inches (2.54-5 cm) and weighs it repeatedly until it is perfect. Branding, staining, and varnishing the bats 5 The bat is branded with the company trademark and the signature of the player associated with the model. The trademark is placed one-quarter of a turn from the sweet spot (the ideal spot where the ball should strike the bat). If the order calls for staining, the bat is dipped into a staining vat. All of the bats are then varnished, packed into cartons, and shipped to the player or team. Quality Control The structural integrity of the baseball bats are monitored through repetitive impact testing.

Some factories have compressed-air cannons that shoot baseballs at precise points on the bat. High-speed cameras record the impact while accelerometers measure the velocity. In other plants, robotic arms whack the balls off over-sized golf tees. Inspectors collect data on the frequency of bending and how the balls travel off the bat. The Future In spite of manufacturers' assurances that the supply of ash trees is not decreasing, the development of composite and aluminum bats continues. The wood composite bat typically consists of a plastic foam core surrounded by woven layers of resin-impregnated synthetic fibers. One of the newest innovations is a bat made of "lanxide," a ceramic-enforced material. Proponents of non-wood bats point to their resistance to breakage. These bats also greatly alter hitting power: a player's batting average increases markedly with an aluminum bat. Although the composite and aluminum bats are popular with amateur and college base-ball players, they are required to use all-wood bats if they advance to the major leagues. It is doubtful that Major League Baseball will ever allow anything but pure wood for bats. The sport is steeped in tradition, and the use of aluminum or composite materials would alter the record books dramatically.

Where To Learn More wood baseball bats | MoZer Bats Blog... 23 11 2009 Maple Bats….Passing the test of time & still going strong. It’s been about nearly 9 years since Barry Bonds broke the single season home run record while using a Maple Baseball Bat throughout the season. That magical season in baseball was the showcase year for Maple Baseball Bats. Although players like Joe Carter used Maple even as far back as in the late 1980’s, maple never really took off until the 2001 season when Bonds crushed 73 home runs to break the single season homerun record in baseball. From that point on, maple surged into more and more hands in baseball…and maple hasn’t looked back ever since. A lot of things in our society turn out to be fads, and never survive the trying times. Maple baseball bats are beginning to silence the critics who have been loud advocates against maple. There have been multiple instances where maple has been the culprit of major injuries in baseball.

A prime example was during the 2008 season when Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Don Long was hit in the face just below the eyes by a huge chunk of Nate McLouth’s maple bat during the eighth inning of a game at Dodgers Stadium. Witnesses say that chunk seemed to be about half of the bat. Just ten days later, another maple bat chunk flew out of the hands of the Colorado Rockies Todd Helton and flew into the stands and broke the jaw of a Dodgers fan. A lot of players worried about the safety of their teammates, coaches and fans have even switched from Maple to Ash or Birch. Including a few seasons back, when Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez switched from Maple to Birch, and Jason Bay switched back to Ash from Birch. A 2005 study commissioned by the MLB found that there was no difference in how fast the ball comes off a maple or ash bat. But still maple seems to give hitters a confidence that ash does not. Although the exact number of players who swing maple in the MLB is unknown, it is certain that it is a majority; with some reports estimating the number at 60 to 70 percent. There also is undoubtedly a longer life span with Maple.

Various studies have found that the average life span of a Maple Bat in the MLB is about a month, versus about a week long life span for Ash. So while there are concerns among MLB officials about the safety risks associated with Maple Baseball Bats, Bat Manufactures are working hard alongside MLB officials to create a solution to the safety risks; aside from prohibiting maple bats from baseball. Throughout all of the issues and controversy and worries surrounding Maple Baseball Bats, the demand is still there, and the popularity is still growing. Maple bats may see some troubling times, but it seems like the new wood bat king is here to stay. SPORTS: Hello baseball season; goodbye Louisville Slugger -- Tuesday, April 5, 2016 -- Hello baseball season; goodbye Louisville Slugger Brittany Patterson , E&E News reporter Climatewire: Tuesday, April 5, 2016 St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter hits with a maple bat during the team's opening game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bats made of ash, the traditional first choice of many ballplayers, are becoming increasingly rare -- in part, scientists say, because an invasive beetle spurred on by climate change has been threatening ash supply. Photo courtesy of AP Images. When St.

Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter picked up a bat for the 2016 baseball season opener Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he selected one made of maple. These days, maple is the bat material of choice for most pros, and it has been ever since San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds broke the record for the number of home runs hit in a season. But scientists say that if ballplayers like Carpenter ever want to go back to traditional ash bats, they might not have that chance. The supply of ash in the United States is under threat, and with it, the iconic Louisville Slugger. The culprit: an invasive beetle called the emerald ash borer. SPECIAL SERIES An occasional series on the impact that rising temperatures are having on some of the world's most popular sports. "It is the most destructive invasive insect to have ever entered North America," said Therese Poland, a research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station. Advertisement First identified near Detroit in 2002, the invasive species today is found in 25 states and two Canadian provinces. It has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees and inflicted millions of dollars in damage.

As global temperatures rise, the beetle is likely to not only survive in what was previously too cold of a climate, but it will develop from larva to adult in half the time, Poland said. Furthermore, the beetle doesn't discriminate in its attack of ash, but a drought-stressed tree is especially attractive, something that is projected to become more common as the climate changes. About the size of a slivered almond, shiny and green like the jewel for which they're named, adult emerald ash borers begin their barrage on ash trees innocently enough, by munching on the tree's leaves. The real damage begins when females lay their eggs inside the cracks and crevices of tree bark. Once born, the larvae tunnel underneath the bark, devouring its tissue and preventing the tree from transporting water and nutrients. Within one to three years, the infected ash tree will be dead. For more than 100 years, Louisville Slugger, the official bat of Major League Baseball, has sourced its white ash from a relatively small area of northern Pennsylvania and New York. About seven years ago, the bat maker noted that the beetle had come within 100 miles of its harvest site.

On its own, the emerald ash borer will not move more than a few miles. But humans have helped it spread, mainly through the seemingly innocent transportation of firewood from urban areas to forested ones. "Ash trees are an enormous component of neighborhood trees," said Leigh Greenwood, the Nature Conservancy's "Don't Move Firewood" campaign manager. "When they get infested and die, it's tempting for people who don't know better to cut it down and take the wood hundreds of miles to a campsite, and it infects that campground." Louisville Slugger agreed, Greenwood said, and tried to help by spreading that message on its website. "The bottom line is that those forests that Louisville Slugger uses to harvest ash and make high-quality bats are going to be devastated by emerald ash borer over time," she said. "It affects the American heritage of the American ash tree and Louisville Slugger products." And maple bats may not be entirely safe. Another invasive insect, the Asian longhorned beetle, is now targeting maple trees, but in a slower manner, she said. Unlike with the emerald ash borer, scientists think they can eradicate the maple-eating bug.

"In short, the cat's out of the bag with the emerald ash borer, which is really tragic, but it's true," Greenwood said. Wasps, girdling and the fight to save ash The fight is far from over against the emerald ash borer. Poland, with the Forest Service, leads a research team that has tested multiple strategies to kill or slow down the spread of the beetle. First, there are insecticides on the market that when injected into the tree will kill emerald ash borer larvae almost entirely, but it's expensive and labor-intensive to treat individual trees. "They're useful for homeowners or cities to treat street trees, but at the forest level to go out to a woodlot and manually inject every single tree at a couple hundred dollars per tree, it's not feasible," Poland said. America's iconic ash baseball bat is facing pressure not just from a shift in player taste to maple but from an invasive beetle with a voracious appetite. Now found in 25 states and two Canadian provinces, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees, and climate change isn't helping the fight to stop it. Map courtesy of the Department of Agriculture.

In 2008, the Forest Service received permission from U.S. EPA to begin releasing parasitic wasps from China that kill the beetle. The agency is monitoring areas where three species of wasps have been used to see what impact they are having on controlling beetle populations. Because stressed trees are extra-attractive to the beetle, foresters can girdle a tree, or remove a band of bark in order to attract large numbers of the bug. The stressed tree becomes a tasty sentinel for the beetle. Once infested, the tree is cut down and chipped, destroying a chunk of the emerald ash borer population. "If we didn't do anything, it's likely 100 percent of ash trees would die," Poland said. "By using some of [these] techniques, we're hoping to give ash a chance." As a backup plan, Major League Baseball and the Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory have also developed a protocol to bring new wood species into the fold for baseball bats. In 2008, MLB approached the Forest Products Lab with a conundrum: Why were so many maple baseball bats breaking during games and sending dangerous shards of wood flying into stands?

In response, the lab and its partners figured out why, and then, to stop maple bats from injuring others, developed a set of criteria and tests that can be used to qualify a new species of wood for use as a baseball bat. Because of their long-standing use, the rate of bat breakage to meet or beat was set by rates measured in ash bats. The density of wood and the grading of the material, or how straight the wood fibers are, are part of those criteria. David Kretschmann, research general engineer with the Forest Products Lab, who works on the baseball bat research, said two species have been approved for use in MLB bats so far. They are yellow birch, now used by about 5 percent of players, and European beech. Kretschmann said he isn't worried about the future of American's pastime because the players have already moved away from ash. "In reality, at this point, there's still enough material out there for the demand that it [the emerald ash borer] doesn't really have an impact," he said. But Troy Weldy, director of land conservation for the Nature Conservancy in New York, sees it differently.

Although bat makers may have already made a shift because of market forces, future generations could lose a piece of Americana if ash bats aren't available. "The 10-year-old baseball player who has aspirations to get to the majors, that is who is going to miss out if ash is not available in the future," he said. Choosing Wood at Choosing wood for your furniture ©2008-2011 by Charles A. Plesums, Austin, Texas, USA Primary Furniture hardwood Almost any type of wood can be used for furniture, but the ones listed here are the most suitable, based on strength, durability, availability, and cost. The grain and color are classics that will probably "fit in" with other furniture. Some of the cheaper, softer woods are interesting, but are less durable. Some of the more exotic woods are beautiful - like creating a work of art - but you need to consider whether you want a unique "discussion piece" or a piece that blends with other furniture in the room. Many of the exotic woods are scarce enough to only be available as veneers. The chemistry of altering wood, as well as staining, dying, and otherwise coloring the wood, is advancing rapidly.

In a recent visit to a furniture store, the walnut wood didn't have quite the right grain. The sales manager finally confessed that this company was using cherry for all their pieces this year, chemically removing all the color and recoloring it to look like whatever they wanted. I wonder what wood will be used next year for all their furniture! Factories can stain wood fairly economically, but it makes the furniture hard to repair. Although I have stained or dyed many pieces, I have gradually become opposed to the process... it adds a lot of time(cost), hides some of the natural beauty of the wood, and makes repair far more difficult. Coloring a cheap wood to look like a more expensive wood often costs more than just using the good wood in a piece of custom furniture. In addition to the information below about the primary furniture wood, you may also be interested in Secondary Wood that is part of practically every piece of furniture. You may also want to consider decorations, the way wood is cut into lumber, and other choices . Most of the pictures of the wood below were obtained from others.

They seem to be good representations of each wood, but wood does vary, and pictures vary, as do the computers that are used to view these pictures, so they should only be used as a general guideline, not a guarantee. The difference in the total cost of the project between the cheapest and most expensive common furniture woods may only be 10-20%. Some of the difference is the cost of the wood itself, but also the amount of waste... sometimes it is hard to find larger pieces because of knots and sapwood. If you would like one of the "more expensive" common woods, I urge you to make the slight extra investment. Oak Oak is popular in kitchens, floors, and other cabinets. Most oak is not stained, but the finished wood (or the clear finish used on the wood) tends to yellow slightly over time. It is very hard and durable. The tan color of oak "Arts and Crafts" furniture is from fuming white oak - exposing the bare wood to ammonia which reacts with the natural tannin in the wood - rather than from stain. Red Oak, in the upper picture, is the most common oak, which has a slight pink tint. It is quite porous (thus is suitable for indoor use only).

Traditionally the pores are not filled, and a clear finish such as lacquer or varnish is applied. If you have oak floors or staircase, and are not sure what kind of oak it is, bet on red oak. It is an excellent furniture wood, and probably the lowest cost wood for most projects. White oak, shown as a stained or fumed wood in the lower picture, is less porous as well as less pink, and can be used for outdoor projects as well as indoor furniture. Oak barrels are always white oak - the open pores of red oak would leak. The "medullary rays" going across the grain are present in all oak, and are especially common in quarter sawn white oak. These are one of the defining characteristics of arts and crafts furniture. Ash is very similar to oak, but without medullary rays - see below. Ash Ash is a very strong wood, often used for baseball bats and handles of tools. It is relatively inexpensive, sometimes even being used for residential wood trim, or for commercial "unpainted" furniture. Looks a lot like oak, with strong open grain and light color. Local availability is sometimes sporadic, but I will be glad to check if you want a project done in Ash.

Walnut Walnut, also known as "American Walnut" or "Black Walnut" is our favorite "dark" furniture wood. The heartwood is a rich brown. Knots larger than "pin" size are normally avoided. The outer sapwood is lighter, varying from the light brown to a much lighter cream or white. Large walnut trees are becoming scarce, so the available walnut wood has more sapwood. Some people love the character that the sapwood adds. When it can't be hidden on the inside, bottom, or back of the piece, I may dye the sapwood so it isn't as obvious. Some walnut is steamed in the kiln before it is dried, which makes the sapwood turn brown, like it eventually would as the tree grew longer and the sapwood matured to heartwood. Walnut is quite hard and durable - resistant to dings. The slightly open grain of walnut can be filled for a smooth polished finish, or walnut can left "open" so the texture of the wood projects through the finish. The natural brown color can be relatively light, like our logo at the top of the page. Some of my earlier walnut pieces were stained a darker walnut.

If you are uncertain, leave the wood natural - not only does the pretty grain show better, but the furniture can be repaired more easily if that is ever required. Walnut can be used in dishes and cutting boards - the finished wood is not toxic, although the sawdust is slightly irritating when working with it (my problem, not yours). As a side note, the sawdust prevents seeds from germinating but does not interfere with plant growth, so I save my walnut sawdust for friends to use as mulch on their rose gardens. Cherry Cherry is another favorite furniture wood. Initially it is a very light brown, with occasional small knots or sap pockets (larger flaws are avoided). As it is exposed to light, it gradually darkens, with obvious change in the first few weeks. In months it will become a rich light brown, and in a year or two it will be a medium brown. It will probably never become the classic "dark cherry" which was caused by old fashioned finishes darkening as much as the wood. See the separate example of how cherry darkens . The wood can be stained or dyed so that it starts darker (the more traditional furniture color), but the underlying wood will continue to darken over time.

Therefore the stain that today might be a perfect color match to some previously finished wood, probably will not be an exact match in a few months. If the old and new pieces are both left unstained, the colors will gradually become similar. This picture is a piece of wood we actually prepared, with oil but no stain, about 6 months before the picture was taken. If you want a traditional "dark cherry" look immediately, some people suggest staining or dying maple or birch (the grain patterns are similar, and the wood is less expensive) to get the cherry look with less later change in the color. If you want the look of real cherry, we recommend no stain or dye at all. A friend with cherry bookcases noted that the less-frequently-moved books on the shelf had created a pattern in the wood - the books had prevented sunlight from darkening the shelf under the books so the outline of those books showed (but the outline gradually faded when the books were moved). The change is slow enough so that a magazine on a table is not a problem but a piece of art that is "always" in the same place may leave a lighter spot. Cherry has great color, strength, and is relatively hard - resistant to dings.

(Some people avoid using in in flooring, because it is slightly softer than other traditional floor woods, but it can be a beautiful floor wood also.) It has a beautiful even grain, and is beautiful with either an oiled finish or a hard lacquer or varnish surface. The wood is not toxic - it can be used in wooden dishes. Maple Maple comes in many varieties, but generally is a very hard wood, that makes beautiful durable furniture. Maple has a small, darker heart, but is prized for the very light and even sapwood - the opposite of most wood where the heartwood is preferred. "Soft" maple is quite hard - harder than many of the other "hard" woods, and is more prone to the distinctive brown mineral streaks in the lower-left picture. Most commercial maple furniture is stained another color, often a honey brown, like the lower right picture. The wood is non toxic (it's sap becomes maple syrup) and is often used for cutting boards. Maple has a reputation of being hard to stain evenly, especially where the grain changes. I have had no problem with some pieces, and have cursed others. (The stain is held by the pores and scratches in the wood surface.

I have had most success by first sanding the piece very smooth (often to 320 grit), then to continue to lightly sand with a slightly coarser sandpaper (150-220 grit) that leaves microscopic scratches to hold the stain. The later layers of finish fill and hide the nearly invisible scratches.) Maples, especially harder maples, sometimes have a distinctive curly grain. Birds eye maple is a premium piece of maple that has small circular grain patterns, among the regular grain - see below among the exotic woods. Other interesting grain patterns are available as well. It is often used in musical instruments (like the back of violins - fiddleback). Regular pieces of maple may have occasional hints of the curly or birds eye features. Mahogany - Sipo Mahogany is one of the traditional furniture woods, known for the straight, smooth, semi-open grain with many cross grains, that accepts a fine finish. It is a bit lighter weight than maple, and comparable to oak in strength. It withstands moisture well, so is popular in wooden boats, entry doors, or other outdoor projects. It is easy to work, with relatively few defects. The color of the wood ranges from yellow brown to dark reddish brown.

With age it darkens slightly to a rich dark red-brown. Factory made furniture is often stained much darker than natural, to accelerate aging. Over the centuries mahogany has probably been the primary furniture wood. Much of the current "Genuine" (Honduras) mahogany wood, in the upper picture is plantation grown in Latin America, but even the plantation grown wood, is getting scarce due to the long time-to-maturity for the trees. Many countries have export restrictions because the native trees are isolated, and huge environmental damage is often caused while removing them. African mahogany (Botanical name- Khaya) is a somewhat softer wood than "genuine" Mahogany, but is rated "moderately durable". It was the first common substutute for genuine mahogany, but it, too, is getting scarce. It has a very fine grain, and is sometimes used for paneling. It also looks very much like the Phillipine Mahogany that is sold as luan plywood, although Luan is technically not a mahogany. With limited mahogany (of any sort) available, Sipo is currently a popular substitute, sold by my lumber yard as Sipo-Mahogany, although botanically it is not mahogany.

It has most of the good characteristics of mahogany, looks a lot like mahogany, and is readily available at a reasonable price. The second picture is "bare" sipo, and the third picture is sipo with a clear finish. Lyptus® A new species of hardwood has been "invented" by Aracruz Wood Products in the state of Bahia, Brazil, and distributed in North America through a strategic alliance with Weyerhaeuser (see ). Lyptus® is a cross between two different Eucalyptus species, it is germinated in nurseries and grown alongside native forests in Brazil. With a growth cycle of 14-16 years it produces thirty times the volume of comparable rain forest species. It is hand pruned, so the trunks are long, straight, and with few knots when they reach the mill. In terms of density, strength and technical properties Lyptus® compares favorably with hard maple. Unfinished wood is quite light in color, almost pink, as seen in the upper picture, but quickly ages to a deeper red/brown. It can be dyed and finished like the lower picture, to look like mahogany.

In fact, I prepared identical pieces of Lyptus® and mahogany; with the same dye, and they were almost impossible to tell apart, but the sample of Lyptus® weighed 1.4 times as much as the mahogany. The price is comparable to other furniture wood, perhaps even on the low end of the range of prices. After an initial surge in popularity, some woodworkers complain bitterly about sharp splinters while working with it, so it's popularity may be fading, now primarily used for flooring. Pecan (Hickory) Hickory and Pecan are from the same biological family - in the south the trees are probably Pecan, in the north, the trees are probably hickory. In most of the country the trees cross-fertilize, and could be either. The federal government allows the two woods to be mixed and sold under either name. (After they are cut, an expert says he has to use a microscope to tell the two types of wood apart.) The wood has a variety of colors, from a warm medium brown to a light cream with occasionally deeper streaks - so much variation that it isn't practical to try to match boards of similar color - expect a mixture.

Look at this set of furniture for an example. I recommend Pecan (I'm now from Texas), for casual furniture - a room where t-shirts and shorts would be "dressed up." (Of course if I were still from up north, I would recommend Hickory for a room where plaid shirts and jeans were normal, and would build the same furniture.) Hickory is one of the heaviest native woods, and some claim it is the first "pure North American" species. The second picture shows a darker piece but illustrates the strong grain pattern. Soft Wood By definition, a hard wood is from a tree that drops its leaves each year (deciduous), and a soft wood is from an evergreen. But some hard woods can be fairly soft, and some soft woods fairly hard. Pine Pine is a soft wood that I do not recommend for furniture. However, many of the classic colonial pieces were pine. The newer pine wood is grown very quickly so is very soft with a fairly coarse grain. Antique pine furniture was made from "first growth" pine wood, which grew more slowly, so is harder. It was often rift cut or quarter cut (less efficient) giving it a much finer grain pattern.

Some pine furniture today is made from recycled or recovered "old" wood, to get the denser wood and finer grain. Some specialty lumber yards sell recycled antique pine wood, and even get a premium price for real worm holes. Knotty pine is often used in "Lodge" construction, where the large knots become a distinctive feature. Use of knotty pine for furniture is chancy, since the knots are fairly large (interfering with strength) and often loose. Knotty Alder is similar to Knotty pine, but the knots are generally smaller and tighter. I have built some cabinet doors to go in a Knotty Alder wine cellar, but have concerns about building major furniture pieces with this wood. Both alder and pine are subject to rot, so should not be used outdoors. Cedar Cedar is technically a soft wood (an evergreen), but is naturally weather resistant. I have made some indoor furniture with it (not great), but like to use it for outdoor furniture. Finding white cedar boards without a lot of knots is a challenge... sometimes I have had no problem among timbers and beams sold by lumber yards as deck material, that I cut down to size.

Other times I have had trouble finding straight, solid boards that I could use. Aromatic cedar is the more highly colored, more aromatic form. It is reputed to repel bugs and moths, so is used to line closets and as the bottoms of some clothing drawers. In this use it must be left unfinished - in fact some of the aromatic oils contain the same "active ingredients" as paint removers, so finishing even the surrounding areas can be a problem. Spanish Cedar is technically not cedar at all, and certainly not Spanish. It is a common hardwood (deciduous) from Central and South America that is used in North America primarily to line cigar humidors. It has the distinctive cedar aroma with the reddish-brown heartwood, and a white or pink sapwood. One sub-species has a lot of sap that can weep in a humidor. Cypress This is a popular wood for siding, decks, outdoor furniture, and projects - old growth is very resistant to decay and insects with naturally occurring preservative; new growth heartwood is good but not as good, and sapwood is inferior for outdoor projects. Holds stain well, very durable, even recycled from 100 year old buildings.

Cypress has enough of the good features of hardwood that the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) grading rules apply to "Hardwood and Cypress." Exotic wood These woods are less common, often because they are more expensive. The cost of the wood may be 2 to 5 or more times the cost of the more traditional woods above. Some wood may only be available as a veneer. For an individual piece of furniture or for a key part of a piece (such as "only the table top") or for a decorative element, the difference may be an insignificant part of the total cost. If you like these woods, you should consider them. I don't keep a large inventory of wood - I normally buy the primary wood for each project. The common furniture wood is readily available at predictable prices. The exotic wood will certainly have to be purchased for a project. But the local sources may only have a limited supply, or may not have the necessary pieces in stock. Wood is expensive to ship, especially in small quantities, and even the "mail order" sources for this wood do not always have all sizes in inventory.

I love the opportunity to work with a new wood, but if you choose one of these woods for your project, the exact timeframe, and to an extent, the cost, are less predictable. Rosewood Family Rosewood refers to over 100 species of tropical woods from all over the world, all belonging to the genus Dalbergia. They are very hard, and the natural oils make them somewhat difficult to glue. Those oils also make this an excellent wood for use with an oiled finish, but it can also have a hard finish such as lacquer or varnish. As true rosewoods become more rare, some vendors substitute the similar narra, from Southeast Asia, or possibly jatoba (AKA courbaril, Brazilian cherry). If you are looking for larger pieces, such as cabinets, think in terms of veneers. Rosewood sawdust is toxic - we must use breathing masks and skin protection when working with it, and it should not be used for cutting boards or other food utensils. In rare cases some people experience a rash from merely touching the wood, even chin-rests on violins. But it sure is pretty. The cocobolo and bubinga below are from the rosewood family.

Cocobolo Cocobolo is from the Rosewood family, imported from Central America. Colors range from purple red to yellow with irregular black streaks. With exposure to light over time, colors will darken to a deep orange red. It is very dense, and is often used in musical instruments. It is similar to Bolivian Rosewood (Morado), Santos Rosewood, and many of the other members of the Central American branch of the rosewood family. Bubinga Bubinga is African Rosewood. It has a reddish tint, with brown and black grain patterns, somewhat like a cross between Walnut and Cherry. It is popular among furniture artists. The wood is dense enough that the end grain finishes well. See the humidor that we made from Bubinga, with a somewhat different overall appearance than this picture from the web. The wood burns easily as it is cut and sanded (my problem, not yours). Wenge Wenge is also popular among furniture artists. It is yellow-brown when freshly cut, and becomes very dark brown to almost black. The sap wood is yellowish white, and would normally be hidden on the inside. The grain is intense, dense, and relatively straight.

It is a very hard wood (harder than oak) that quickly dulls cutting tools and gives woodworkers splinters. The open grain pattern must be filled for a smooth finish. The sawdust is toxic (skin and breathing), so this wood should not be used for food service. Teak Teak is a wonderful durable wood that makes great unfinished outdoor furniture, aging to a beautiful silver-gray, or it holds a fine finish (often teak oil). Sometimes I have been quoted prices so high that you might need a security guard for your lawn furniture, although I once received a price quote "only" 3 times the cost of walnut. I have not always been able to get the wood for a project at an acceptable price (or even an absurd price) so we need to find the wood before we plan a teak project. Someone recently suggested that he had found Iroko wood as a good substitute for teak, and much cheaper. Finished in Teak Oil, it matched other teak items. I have not used it. Zebra Wood There can be no question where this wood got it's name! A recent quote was about 3 times the cost of walnut.

Bird's Eye Maple Some rare pieces of hard maple have a beautiful pattern like these - each "eye" is the size of a pencil eraser, among the clouds. The wood industry has reportedly learned to print this pattern on wood (or plastic) so artificial birds eye maple is becoming popular as an office wallboard. I recently received a quote at only 2 1/2 times the cost of Walnut - far less than I expected. The birds eyes appear through the wood - even more in the darker heartwood, so pieces of light colored maple with dense birds eye patterns are becoming very rare. Ebony Ebony is a family of different woods that are very hard and heavy, many of which are quite black. Grain markings are fine and very indistinct. The wood is hard that carbide rather than steel tools normally must be used to cut it, and most is so heavy that it sinks in water. The picture of brown/black wood at the right is Macassar Ebony, also known as French Rosewood (see why I am confused?). The ebony that is "pure black" (think clarinet) is called African ebony. And the black grand pianos are commonly made from maple, with a black finish.

African blackwood (not part of the ebony family) is a substitute for ebony - cheaper than ebony, but certainly not cheap. Reportedly blackwood is used for clarinets because of the translucent (shiny) quality and tonal quality, while real ebony (matte black, wears well) is used for piano keys, fingerboards on string instruments, and chin rests, as well as decorative furniture inlays. Walnut is sometimes treated with vinegar that has had steel wool "dissolved" in it. This causes the walnut to turn very dark, looking like ebony - a process called ... ebonization. Since ebony costs 20 times as much as walnut, and isn't always 100% black, this technique has been used for centuries. Some vendors descriptions of their ebony products suggest that much of the "ebony" furniture and pianos are really made from ebonized wood. Padauk African Padauk is a deep orange/red color that deepens with age. The sawdust is toxic and stains clothes and other wood. I'm not looking forward to working with this one, but it is strong, dense, and decay resistant, making it a favorite for furniture and boats.

Among the exotic woods, it is relatively inexpensive. Other wood As I have collected information on other woods, I want to keep that data together, but generally these are woods that I have not personally used. Basswood Basswood, also known as Linden, is light, with straight fine grain. This makes it a favorite for woodcarvers, which I am not. Locust Two types of Locust trees are found on the East Coast: Black and Honey Locust. The Black is the more common in the Northeast; the Honey Locust in the South. Very hard, beautiful golden color grain. Used in boat building, fence posts, railroad ties, and poles. I suspect this picture may be showing stained rather than natural wood. Sycamore Sycamore is known for it's interesting grain patterns and good tone characteristics in musical instruments - it is often used for backs of violins and guitars. In many ways it is similar to maple, although I must have missed the biology class that would allow me to understand the articles about whether or not it is related to maples. I have been concerned about stability, but that problem is apparently overcome by steaming when it is dried.

I have some beautiful sycamore veneer waiting for a project. Birch Many of my early pieces were made from birch plywood. Eventually I got some solid birch for frames and edges. It is a hard durable wood, but it lacks character, and is sometimes difficult to stain evenly. The solid wood is too expensive for routine use as a secondary wood, although the birch plywood is common and may be used as a secondary (structural) plywood. Butternut Butternut has a good reputation as a wood with an interesting soft golden brown grain pattern, sometimes called white walnut. Reportedly subject to a blight that may make it extinct like chestnut. It tears out when turning UNLESS it has been STABILIZED and when turned must be carefully sanded. Because this wood is less dense and softer than most hardwoods, it is very popular for carving. Much of antique furniture boasted Butternut carvings that were stained to be indistinguishable from walnut. I have not used it yet. Continue to secondary wood Back to the woodworking page at Back to the home page at Send e-mail comments to Charlie@Plesums.com ©2004-2011 by Charles A.

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Question: Although Maple bats are becoming increasingly popular, which wood is traditionally used to make Baseball bats?
Answer: ASH